Son of a coal miner, built his Ukrainian coal and steel empire in the mid-1990s by forging ties with politician Viktor Yanukovych, who was then prime minister. After his ally lost 2004 presidential election, had his key asset, Ukraine's largest steel company Kryvorizhstal, reprivatized. Then spent several months in hiding in Europe while criminal investigators looked into his past; no charges filed. Didn't take long for him to recover politically: became a deputy in Ukraine's parliament last March. With pal Victor Pinchuk named person of the year by the Ukrainian Observer. At Davos this January, announced plans to list his diversified conglomerate System Capital Management.